In June of 2011, Iris ventured deep into Northern Bahar Gazal and Warrap states.  With love, lots of bread and the supernatural favor of God, Iris Awiel was born!

Iris Awiel is our northern most base yet and will be serving as a launch pad deeper into the most conflict ridden areas of our land.  We were humbled by our visits with refugees from Abyei and Darfur, both in Aweil and hours away on the border in a town called Turalei.  Our heart burns for these regions.  Hours before we came to visit Turalei militias raided the town.  It is still a precarious place.

We began a street church with the street boys, who are now all adopted as Iris kids.  Locals marveled and two white women (Carolyn and Michele) stopping and loving their children that most chase away.  It was said all over the city, “Love has come to Awiel town.”  We were humbled to bring the never-failing love of Jesus to the last, the least and the lost.

God opened many opportunities to meet with different leaders and it was lovely to make new friends with state level officials who warmly welcomed Iris to the region.

We also visited in the northern returnee settlements, found a starving baby near death and on the spot started our community care “milk” program.  There we had the joy to introduce those who had never heard of Jesus to His amazing goodness and love!  When our area pastors brought the promised milk back to the little 4 year old girl, her mama just wept that this Jesus she just met would so take care of her child.

We were captured by the warmth and generosity of those who had nothing in the natural, but had everything that truly matters.

Please pray for and follow Carolyn’s journey as she moves to Awiel later this year to further pioneer our presence there among the street children and refugee settlements.  We are cheering her on and privileged to have her spearheading Iris Awiel!

As a start, we are planning to launch a drop in shelter for street children with an emphasis on family tracing and reunification, church planting and outreach among the refugee settlements and a community care program to provide supportive care for at risk children in their extended family environments (largely in conjunction with our Iris Harvest Fellowship churches).